Fiancée & Fiancée
by Callidus-Neuro
Summary: "YOUR ENGAGED!" Kotori fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. "So who's the lucky guy?" Honoka asked. Kotori swallowed nervously. "It's not a boy." The room fell silent. [AU in which Kotori and Umi are arranged to be married by their parents and are forced to 'get to know each other'. Will they be able to fall in love?] KotoUmi and other side pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**Right, soooo I'm terribly sorry for my fans following my other stories but I'm having a writer's block and this is for me to let out some steam. **

**Anyway, this story is going to an AU where Ontonokizaka highschool is not in danger of closing down so therefore there is no muse or idol groups. That's the basic gist that you need to know. Also, I'm just putting it out there but for the sake of this story, it is legal for same sex couples to marry in Japan. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Love Live and I never will. This story is purely for my (and your) enjoyment. **

**Enjoy your read and I would appreciate it if you left some feedbacks! Let me know if you want this ridiculous idea continued. **

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><p>Pairings: Main pairing: UmiKotori. Side/background/hinted/mentioned/possible pairings: Eli/Nozomi, Maki/Nico, Rin/Hanayo, Honoka/Tsubasa, Erena/Anju.

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><p><em><strong>-Japan, Tokyo-<strong>_

"YOU'RE ENGAGED?!"

Kotori fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. She stared at the ground and completely refused to meet the gazes of her friends.

Honoka, her childhood friend/best friend/first ever friend, slowly approached and deliberately placed her hands on Kotori's shoulders. Slowly, Kotori raised her head and, for the first time, looked at how her best friend was faring with the undoubtedly shocking news. She hoped Honoka wasn't too shell-shocked or hurt that Kotori hadn't told her earlier because she herself had only found out yesterday evening.

Honestly, trust her mum to casually drop a huge bomb on her just as she was about to swallow a mouthful of rice. (_"Kotori dear, would you mind passing the salt? Oh and by the way, you're engaged and you're going to marry that person when you graduate high school. So how was your day at school?"_)

"Honoka-chan?" Kotori squeaked, freaked out by her friend's blank stare. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to tell you but I was only told yesterday."

Kotori wasn't sure whether she should be worried or not when Honoka's face slowly split into an ear-splitting grin. "So? Who's the lucky guy?"Honoka asked eagerly. She was quickly shoved out of the way by a scowling Nico.

"Who cares about that?! What I want to know is how you got engaged before me!" Everybody ignored this particular outburst.

"Did you even have a say in the matter?" Maki asked from the corner of the room.

Kotori shook her head. "I first thought she was just joking but it was real. There was a formal contract between my family and the other family. I tried to tell her that I didn't want to marry a stranger but I don't really have any say apparently. My mum's really close with the other family and she takes contracts and things like that really seriously."

"You don't seem too upset," Nozomi observed.

"I admit I was really upset when I first heard about it but after talking over it with my mum and thinking about it for a long time, I've come to somewhat accept the situation. I trust my mum enough to know that she would never insist if the person I'm engaged to is untrustworthy in any way. I'm sure I can eventually learn to love the person at least as a friend if not more," Kotori answered levelly. Of course, she still had her doubts (she wasn't exactly known for being the most decisive person) and her romantic side wanted nothing but to throw a huge tantrum at the unfairness of it all but she was mature enough to recognise that her mum had nothing but good intentions and knew what was best for her the most. Besides, she didn't think she would ever be able to completely go against her only parent who has raised her and made sure she had the best opportunities whilst growing up.

"Kotori-chan, you're so mature nya," Rin said in awe.

"Yeah, I would never be able to accept your situation," Hanayo agreed.

Honoka smiled at Kotori sincerely and gently patted her back. "Well if you ever have any doubts, you can come and talk to us any time. We'll always be there for you, Kotori-chan! Right, everyone?" she asked, turning to the others in the room.

They all nodded with a reassuring smile. Despite all their differences, they always supported each other during tough times and had each other's backs.

Kotori felt her eyes welling with unshed tears. She quickly wiped the traitorous tears away and beamed, feeling absolutely blessed to have such wonderful friends.

"Ne, Kotori-chan," Honoka said gleefully, "does that mean I get to be your maid of honour?"

"Don't be an idiot. Obviously, I am the most suited one for the role." Nico announced. She quickly put on her best cute smile and held up her hands next to her head. "Nico nico nii! Nico nico nii!"

"I think I just threw up," Maki grumbled.

Nico snapped her head towards the first year, a glare on her face. "What did you just say?!"

Hanayo held up her palms in a placating manner, smiling nervously. "Let's not start another fight in the clubroom."

Meanwhile, Honoka, who had completely tuned out the conversation, grasped Kotori's hands excitedly with a large grin. "So, so, who's the lucky guy?" she asked eagerly. The room immediately fell silent, all waiting for the answer.

Kotori swallowed nervously. She hadn't thought about this. She had been hoping to put off this particular question for as long as possible but it seemed that it was not to be. She avoided looking into Honoka's starry eyes and instead opted to stare at the wall as if was the most interesting thing she had ever seen.

After ten long seconds of suffocating silence, Kotori blurted out, "It's not a boy."

If it was possible, the silence that followed was even more suffocating. Despite not looking at her friends' expressions, Kotori could feel the stares burning into the side of her face.

"I was also surprised…?" Kotori offered weakly. She was willing to do anything if it meant ending the painful silence.

"My, my," Nozomi whispered, a sly smile gracing her lips.

"…"

"…"

"…WHAAAAAT?!"

000

_**-England, London-**_

Umi sneezed, her hands quickly coming up to cover her mouth. She frowned. That was the third time she had sneezed in the last five minutes.

"Maybe I'm catching a cold," Umi muttered worriedly. She hated catching flus.

"Or maybe someone's talking about you," a familiar voice commented from behind her.

Umi turned and smiled at the figure standing over her. "Good afternoon, Eli. Your classes finished later than usual today," she said.

The blonde sighed and sat down next to her on the bench, passing Umi a drink. "Tell me about it. Mr Williams just kept going on and on about Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development. Almost everyone was asleep during his rant, a fact that I'm sure he has noticed."

Umi chuckled, taking a sip of the cool lemonade. "That sounds like him. He is always informing the class about his newest discoveries online. I don't think he registers that most people do not take vigorous interest in his topics. In any case, shall we head home? I believe it's almost time for dinner."

"Yeah sure. Arisa's probably waiting for us anyway," Eli said.

"I suppose I will have to brace myself for the usual bear hug I receive the moment I step into the house," Umi said with a fond smile.

Eli rolled her eyes. "How come you always get the massive bear hug when I'm her blood sister? I swear that girl loves you more than me," she said with a huff.

Umi laughed, knowing that Eli wasn't really jealous and was merely joking. Ever since the Ayase siblings have been adopted by Umi's father, the three girls have bonded like true siblings and always got along with each other extremely well. Umi and Eli had their fights from time to time but in the end, they always sat together and were able to laugh and move on from their disagreement. During the initial month of living in the Sonoda residence, Arisa had become incredibly attached to Umi and always looked to her for advice. Of course, Arisa still looked up to Eli and adored her older sister but she seemed to especially enjoy spending time with both Umi and Eli. Instead of being jealous, Eli was happy for her little sister and was secretly glad that Arisa wasn't always crying over their grandmother's death. When Eli was nine and Arisa was four, their parents died in a car accident and their elderly grandmother had taken them in. Two years ago, when Eli was fifteen, their grandmother died from a heart attack and when no relatives could be found, Sonoda Hiroki, a close friend of Eli's dad, had stepped in and taken them under his wing.

"We're home!" Umi and Eli announced, taking off their shoes as per Japanese tradition. Despite having lived in England for most of their life, their roots were in Japan and Umi's parents had made sure to educate them on everything that was related to Japan. English was banned inside the house and they were subscribed to Japanese channels on their television. Umi and Eli were pretty much experts at Japanese culture but Arisa, being four years younger, had a slightly harder time grasping some of the mannerisms.

As soon as they had announced their arrival, the sound of footsteps rushing down the stairs could be heard and Umi was, as predicted, was tackled into a bear hug.

"Welcome back, Onee-chan, Umi-neechan!" Arisa beamed, moving onto give Eli a massive hug.

"Hey Arisa," they replied with amusement.

"Umi-chan! Eli-chan! Arisa-chan! Dinner's almost ready!" Umi's mother Sonoda Ayaka called out. "Hurry up and set the table!"

"Coming! Just give us a second to get changed!" Eli shouted.

Once they were changed into their casual clothing, they hurried downstairs to set the table. When Hiroki joined the table, they began to eat.

Dinner at the Sonoda household was always a boisterous event. Despite living in a traditional and somewhat old fashioned way, their personalities were anything but reserved and each member of the family was lively and fun, making any sort of family gathering an exciting experience. When it came to training, Hiroki was stern and strict and completely serious but when it was just with his family, he was kind and always cheerful and smiling. Ayaka on the other hand, had a mean sense of humour and always kept their conversations light and hilarious. Combined with Arisa's boundless energy and Eli and Umi's light banter, there was never a dull moment when they were together.

As they were about to finish dinner, Hiroki called for silence, stating that he and Ayaka had an announcement to make.

"We're moving back to Japan next month," Hiroki said.

Umi and Eli's eyes widened with surprise. Eli glanced at Umi, silently asking whether she was aware of this news and the dark haired girl merely shook her head, her expression full of shock and confusion.

"May I ask why?" Umi inquired politely. After all, she had been taught to speak politely and mind her manners all her life. It was ingrained to her brain and her body.

Ayaka smiled. "You know you're engaged right, Umi-chan?"

Umi nodded slowly as a small blush coloured her cheeks. She had been told this information few years ago but she still had a difficult time getting used to it. Her mind quickly flashed to the person she was engaged to: Minami Kotori. Umi's parents and Kotori's parents had been close high school friends and when they found that both couples were expecting a child, they impulsively decided right then and there to join their families together by marrying their children when they reach the appropriate age. Umi still couldn't imagine what her parents were thinking at the time to cause them to agree to such a crazy idea but a contract was a contract so there was no way of avoiding it.

"Well Hiroki and I had a talk with Kaori-chan and decided that the time has come for you and Kotori-chan to really start getting to know each other. Your marriage is only two years away and it would be awkward if you didn't know anything about each other right?" Ayaka reasoned with a bright smile.

Umi felt as if she was about to throw up. She was only 16 for goodness sake. Wasn't it too early to talk about marriage? Sure, she had known for a while and sure, she had accepted the situation (because what else can she do?) but that didn't mean she was ready for all of this. In fact, she had hoped that it would be forgotten and never brought up again but she was sorely disappointed. She carefully avoided making eye contact with anyone in the room. "But I already know her," she protested with a small voice.

When she was young, her parents would often take her to Japan to meet up with the Minamis. She had already talked to Kotori a few times and had played with her. So what if it was a long time ago when they both didn't know what marriage even was? It still counted.

Ayaka merely gave her a flat stare, as if saying _"Really, Umi-chan?"_

"Well, it sounds like fun. I've always wanted to go to Japan," Eli said with a small smirk. Umi sent her adopted sister a deadly glare. _You're supposed to be on my side!_

"Ooh! Ooh! Me too! Me too! I want to go too! Will we get to go to school in Japan?!" Arisa added excitedly. Umi sent her other adopted sister a betrayed look. _Not you too, Arisa!_

Hiroki cleared his throat. "Umi, you will be inheriting our dojo after you graduate university and as the future head of the household, you need to have someone supporting you. You need to have an established trust between you and your partner and for that to happen, we are going to move to Japan permanently," he said with a serious expression, conveying just how serious he was about this matter.

Umi stared into his father's eyes and after a few tense seconds of silence, she sighed and conceded. "Yes, father."

Ayaka clapped cheerfully. "Well, now that's settled, let's clear the table!"

"I'm sooo looking forward to this," Eli said with a grin. "Aren't you excited, Umi?"

If Umi was any less of a polite human being, she would have replied with swear words that would make even sailors blush. But because she wasn't anything short of polite, she merely answered with a silent glower.

Arisa, oblivious to what was truly going on, excitedly hopped up and down. "I'm really excited! Japan is the best! I'm gonna try all the food there!" she exclaimed with a happy grin.

Umi's expression softened at the adorable sight and she patted Arisa's head. "Of course," she said.

Later in the evening, as she was climbing into her bed, she silently prayed that she would be able to leave behind her awkwardness and come off as a normal human being who was able to have social interactions without fainting from embarrassment. Stuttering like an idiot before passing out wouldn't exactly make the best first impression on her…fiancée? Was she allowed to call her that? Well, Kotori_ was _technically her fiancée. They were engaged after all. Though neither of them had any choice in the matter.

Umi groaned in frustration. Her mind was flying all over the place. She just hoped that Kotori wouldn't hate her for being the unwanted(?) fiancée.

_I shouldn't be losing sleep over this. _

She closed her eyes, attempting to fall asleep. After all, sleep was an essential ingredient for better performance the next day.

…_But what if we don't end up getting along? What if… OH MY GOD! What if we have to k-k-k-k-ki-NO! Stop thinking about it! _

She stared into the darkness, her face flaming red from embarrassment. A small, evil part of her brain whispered, _But you know you have to eventually kiss. You're expected to live together and be a family. A couple. _

Her eyes widened. _Live together?! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Stop thinking, stop thinking. Get to sleep! _

_Umi and Kotori, sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in the baby carriage._

_OH MY GOD! A BABY! Are we expected to have a baby?! How?! It's not like we can just have s- STOP THINKING! Indecent thoughts go away! I'm _really _need to go to sleep. _

_Well, even if you're not going to have a baby, you can still have se-_

_LALALALALALALALALA I can't hear anything! I'm not thinking anything! I'm not- GO AWAY, INDECENT THOUGHTS!_

…_I'm not getting any sleep tonight am I? _


	2. Chapter 2

**I did not expect such a great response, so thank you for everyone who showed their support for this story. It really motivates me to know that there are people out there enjoying what I've written. Anyway, I suspect I will update once every week (most likely on Thursdays) unless something comes up or I get sudden inspiration and update early. **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter as well and if you have time, leave a comment. :)**

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><p><em><strong>-Japan, Tokyo-<strong>_

"So, when are you going to meet her?" Honoka asked for the umpteenth time. Ever since Kotori had broken the news of her engagement, all her friends (but mostly Honoka) have been asking questions about it nonstop.

_What's she like?-Honoka_

_Is she as fabulous as me? Probably not. – Nico _

_What's the point of asking the question if you're going to answer it yourself? –Maki to Nico_

_What's her name? –Honoka_

_When is the wedding?-Honoka_

_Are we invited, nya? I love wedding cakes! – Rin_

_Can we have idol groups performing at the wedding?! –Hanayo_

_Is she rich? –Nico_

_The cards have spoken. You're going to get along great. –Nozomi, with a cunning smile. _

_When can we meet her?! –Honoka_

All of the questions which Kotori answered with an 'I don't know'. All she knew was that her fiancée was called Sonoda Umi and her family ran a famous dojo. She didn't know how Umi looked like or what her personality was but from what she's been told, Kotori painted an image of a strict and disciplined girl with traditional views. She was infinitely worried that they wouldn't even be able to keep a conversation running. She was worried that talking to her fiancée would be akin to talking to a brick wall.

Kotori sighed. "I don't know, Honoka-chan. But my mum did say that it was going to be soon. I'll tell you all about it when I meet her," she promised, hoping that Honoka would be satisfied with her answer and drop the subject. To her relief, Honoka beamed and nodded and stopped asking more questions.

Just as they entered the classroom, Kotori was swarmed by a group of excited classmates, all of whom were shouting over each other.

"Minami-san! Is it true that you're engaged?!"

"We heard you're engaged to a girl! Is that true?!"

"What's she like?!"

"How old is she?!"

Kotori's eyes widened and she took a careful step back. She glanced at Honoka with a panicked, questioning gaze and her heart sank with dread when she saw the sheepish smile on her friend's face.

"It was an accident…?" Honoka said, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

"Honoka-chan!" Kotori cried in betrayal.

"I'm sorry, Kotori-chan! I was so excited about it and it just slipped out! I guess it got spread afterwards. I'm so sorry!" Honoka apologized profusely.

Kotori's shoulder slumped, knowing that she could never be completely made her at best friend. She offered a small, strained smile. "It's okay, I forgive you. This was bound to happen sooner or later."

Honoka brightened, happy that she was forgiven. "Kotori-chan…thank you! I promise I'll do my best to stop anyone from bothering you!" With that said, she proceeded to round up their eager classmates and eventually got them to quieten down. When they saw that Kotori wasn't in the mood to answer any questions, they quickly dispersed with disappointed expressions.

"Thank you, Honoka-chan," Kotori said gratefully.

Before Honoka could reply, the homeroom teacher entered the classroom and called for everyone to take their seats.

For the first time, Kotori zoned out during the lesson, her mind occupied with worries about the engagement.

_I hope this blows over quickly._

000

_**-England, London, Heathrow Airport-**_

_Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Take a deep breath. Now exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. _

Umi repeated the mantra in her head, desperately attempting to quell her nerves. She had been in this state since she woke up that morning and had been pretty much unapproachable, much to the amusement of her family.

_You're not even in Japan, for goodness sake. Stop being such a freak. _

"Harasho! This is my first time being an on airplane! It looks so exciting!" Arisa exclaimed, her face pressed against the glass looking out at the stationary planes. "When are we going to get on?!" she asked impatiently.

Eli chuckled at her younger sister's antics. "Calm down, Arisa. You don't want to pass out before even getting on the plane do you?"

Ayaka checked the electronic timetable. "Our plane is due to take-off in thirty minutes. Maybe we should get ready to start making our way there."

Umi breathed in sharply. _Oh my god. THIRTY MINUTES. I'm not ready for this. What if she doesn't like me? _

"Nervous?" Eli asked teasingly, bumping her shoulder with Umi's.

"You are very well aware that I am," Umi replied curtly.

Seeing the nervous wreck that Umi was, Eli took sympathy and patted her back reassuringly. "Don't be. You're going to get along great but not if you're going to be this stiff and crabby okay? So loosen up and just be your usual self. She's going to love you."

"Yeah, Umi-neechan is really pretty and clever and awesome!" Arisa added with a confident smile.

Umi noticeably relaxed and for the first time, let out a small smile. "Thank you. It does make me feel slightly better hearing that."

"Aww, my little sister's growing up. Soon she's going to forget all about me and only focus on her wife," Eli said in mock sadness, wiping fake tears from her eyes.

Umi smile immediately vanished from her face and she glared, a hot blush invading her cheeks. "She's not my wife!" Then, as an afterthought, she added, "…yet." Her blush grew darker until her whole face was burning from embarrassment.

Eli laughed, amused by Umi's predicament.

"Please stop laughing," Umi muttered.

"Sorry, sorry," Eli gasped out in between her laughter, her expression showing that she was far from being sorry.

"While it's great that Umi is declaring her undying love for her fiancée, we need to start moving," Hiroki interrupted with a grin.

"Father!" Umi exclaimed, horrified.

"Isn't young love sweet? I remember when we used to be like that," Ayaka sighed with a dreamy expression.

"Mother!"

"Aw, mum, give Umi a break. She's just excited at the prospect of having her fiancée all for herself," Eli said with a mischievous smirk.

"Eli…"

"Is Umi-neechan going to be all lovesick?" Arisa asked.

"Arisa," Umi cried in despair. At this point, she just wanted to dig herself a hole, crawl into it and never come back out.

They all burst into laughter at Umi's plight, causing the girl to simply wish for the earth to swallow her whole.

_Why is everyone just picking on me today?_

000

_**-Japan, Tokyo, Kotori's house-**_

It was Saturday morning when Kotori's mum called for her to come downstairs.

"They're coming to visit today," Kaori said. "I hope you don't have any plans today."

Kotori tilted her head. "No I don't but… who's coming today?"

"Your fiancée of course," Kaori replied, taking a sip from her cup. Her tone was casual and dismissive, as if she was merely stating the weather outside.

If Kotori was drinking as well, she would have definitely chocked on her beverage. Thankfully, she was not drinking so she merely widened her eyes.

"Today?!" she said, her voice uncharacteristically panicked and squeaky.

"Yes dear, that's what I said," Kaori said with an amused smile.

"B-B-But I'm not ready!"

"They won't be coming until this afternoon so you have plenty of time. Be sure to be downstairs by two p.m." With that, Kaori retreated into her study, leaving Kotori standing in the kitchen with her heart racing and her mind running amok with panic. Sure she had known that she would be meeting her fiancée soon enough but she hadn't realise it was going to be this soon. She quickly dashed upstairs and changed into a long turquoise dress with a frilly white collar. She tied her hair with her usual green ribbon and inspected herself in the mirror to make sure she was presentable.

For the remaining few hours, Kotori sat on her chair and started sketching out some clothing designs to put her mind into ease. Before long, two p.m. approached and the doorbell rang. She quickly ran downstairs and stood by her mum as she greeted the guests.

She watched nervously as her mum embraced with another woman and then a tall, broad shouldered man.

"Ayaka, Hiroki, it's been a long time," Kaori beamed. Ayaka smiled back before shifting her gaze to a nervous Kotori.

"Oh my! Is that Kotori-chan? She's grown so much in ten years," Ayaka said, pulling Kotori into a hug. The grey haired girl hesitantly hugged back, feeling slightly guilty for not recognising the woman who seemed to know her.

"I don't think she remembers us, Ayaka. She was only six when we last visited," Hiroki observed, smiling at Kotori in acknowledgement.

Meanwhile, Kotori looked around, wondering where her fiancée was. As if reading her thoughts, Ayaka smiled knowingly.

"Umi-chan's gone to buy some flowers with her sisters. We were in a rush so we didn't have time to buy anything," she explained.

Kaori smiled. "You know you don't have to buy anything when you come over."

Ayaka waved dismissively. "Nonsense. It's common curtesy to bring something when visiting. Besides, Umi-chan was a nervous wreck so I asked Eli-chan to talk some calmness into that girl."

Kaori laughed. "It doesn't sound like she's changed too much," she said.

"Umi's still shy as ever," Hiroki said with a grin.

They walked to the living room and sat on the sofas as they caught up. Kotori had never seen her mum be so carefree and relaxed so it surprised her to find out this new side of her mum. Just then, the doorbell rang once again.

"That must be Umi," Hiroki said, getting up to walk to the door.

Kotori stiffened, feeling nervous all over again.

Seeing this, Ayaka smiled kindly at the girl. "Don't worry, Kotori-chan. Our Umi-chan is really shy and awkward so be patient with her okay? She takes time to open up to new people."

Kotori nodded, relaxing slightly. She could do this. This was the person she was expected to live the rest of her life with. She was determined to make a good impression.

"I apologize for being late father. I'm afraid we got a bit lost because Eli led us to the wrong road," a clear voice said from the front door.

_She speaks really politely, _Kotori observed to herself. She's never heard anyone her age speak with such articulation and manner of speech. _You can really tell she's disciplined and had strict upbringing. _

"Hey! That's a lie. You were the one who dragged us down the wrong road on purpose to give yourself more time to prepare!" another voice said indignantly.

"I did no such thing!" Umi said.

Kotori smiled at the exchange. _They seem like fun people to be around. The other voice must be her sister. _

"Girls, no fighting at the door. Come on, everyone's waiting for you," Hiroki said.

Three four pairs of footstep approached the living room until Hiroki entered, followed by three other girls. The first girl had long black hair that looked blue when exposed to sunlight. Her eyes were a golden colour with shades of brown and her posture was straight and alert. The second girl had blonde hair and blue eyes, giving off the exotic foreigner vibe and the third girl was much younger and had a darker shade of blond hair. Looking at the three of them, they didn't seem related at all.

Ayaka motioned for the first girl to come over. "Kotori-chan, this is Umi-chan, your fiancée."

Both girls blushed at the word fiancée.

"Hello," Kotori greeted with a friendly smile.

Umi's blush darkened and she avoided eye contact. "H-Hello."

Kotori suddenly felt a strong urge to giggle. _Aww she's so cute. _She was rather surprised that her image of a stony faced woman was instantly shattered and replaced with a cute, stuttering, teenager.

"Eli-chan and Arisa-chan are her sisters," Ayaka continued the introduction, secretly smiling at the awkward exchange between Umi and Kotori.

The tall blond girl smiled. "Hey. You're probably thinking that Umi and we look nothing alike. That's because we're adopted. It's nice to meet you," she said.

"It's nice to meet you too," Kotori replied, smiling back. She felt slightly taken aback by the girl's blunt statement but she managed to cover up her surprise.

"Why don't you all take a seat?" Kaori said, taking the offered flower bouquet and carefully placing in to the side. The three siblings sat down next to their parents and waited silently.

Ayaka smiled. "Now, let's get the main topic started. Kotori-chan and Umi-chan, in three weeks' time, you will start living together alone in an apartment we've bought for you so that you can get to know each other and get used to living together. The apartment is already furnished and stocked with everything you need and it's close to the school as well as both our houses. You will be given a bank account in which we will supply you with monthly allowance. Until you graduate high school, we will pay the bills so we only need money for food and other optional occasions. I know it will be awkward at first but I'm sure you will get used to it. Any questions?"

Both Kotori and Umi were staring at her with a shocked expression. They had not known about this particular arrangement. Although they were shocked and surprised, neither wanted to cause a fuss so they both remained silent, grudgingly accepting the situation.

_I hope things won't be too awkward and weird._ Kotori thought to herself.

"Father, what will happen to my practices?" Umi asked.

Hiroki nodded. "Yes, regarding your practices, I expect you to still regularly come to the dojo and train yourself. You must never slack off, do you understand, Umi?"

Umi nodded. "Yes, father."

"I've enrolled Umi and Eli in Otonokizaka high school and they can start attending on Monday," Kaori said, earning an appreciative nod from Ayaka and Hiroki. She then turned to Kotori. "Why don't you and Umi go upstairs to your room and get to know each other? We'll give you call when we're done talking."

Kotori nodded and smiled at Umi. "Follow me, Umi-chan."

"U-Umi-_chan?_" the other girl squeaked.

Kotori's smiled turned slightly nervous. "Can I…can I call you that?"

000

"Can I…can I call you that?"

Umi nodded numbly. _You can call me anything you want. _She felt her heart stuttering a bit when Kotori gave her a billion watt smile in return.

As she followed Kotori upstairs, she couldn't help but to stare at the other girl's back in awe. She didn't remember Kotori being this beautiful. But then again, they were six years old when they last met so maybe it wasn't very fair to say that. Despite it being a little over ten years ago, Umi still remembered exactly how Kotori looked like. By comparing, she could tell that Kotori has lost all her baby fat and gained curves. Her face was more angular and much more developed. And although she felt slightly guilty for thinking this, she noticed that Kotori's chest was also much more developed. The only thing that remained the same was her megawatt smile and her gentle and sweet personality.

She briefly wondered if Kotori remembered her from years ago but she quickly dismissed the idea. From the way the other girl had been acting so hesitant and unfamiliar, it was obvious that she did not recognise Umi. She couldn't blame her. It was a long time ago.

They entered Kotori's room and silently sat opposite each other on the floor. Umi discreetly looked around, taking in every single detail. The pink chair, the yellow bed covers, the large plant by the door, the bookshelf and the cute calendar that hung on the wall.

"It's not very exciting is it?" Kotori asked with a smile.

Umi whirled her head to look at the girl and forced herself to keep down the heat rising up her face. "N-No! It's uh… it's very personalized. I like it," she said, inwardly cringing at her choice of words.

_Personalized? Really? You couldn't come up with anything better?_

"I like your clothes," Umi complimented awkwardly.

_Oh my god, just stop talking now! You're just digging yourself a bigger hole. _

"It's um… it's very nice. The colour, I mean. Not to say that's the only thing I like about it!"

_Can you shut up for one second?!_

Kotori giggled and Umi thought it was the sweetest sound she's ever heard. It was like angels playing the harp.

"Thank you," Kotori said, giving Umi a warm smile.

_Please smile at me like that forever. _

Kotori giggled again and Umi realised with horror that she had just said that out loud.

_Great. Now she thinks you're a freak. She's probably laughing at how idiotic you are. So much for a good first impression. _

"You're cute," Kotori said.

Umi's face immediately went red. "C-C-Cu-Cute?" she choked out.

_She called you cute! That's a good sign. She doesn't think you're a complete weirdo. Good sign. _

"You're beautiful," Umi breathed out in a daze.

This time, it was Kotori who blushed. She ducked her head shyly and smiled. "T-Thank you. I think you're really pretty too."

Umi practically melted at that.

_God, she's so pretty and adorable and kind and sweet and lovely and jdlajglabskajfoshiwro_

…_I could get used to this. _

"I like your hair. It's really nicely styled. It's uh… it's really neat."

_Aaaaand we're back to square one. _


	3. Chapter 3

"Good morning class, I have exciting news for you: we have a new transfer student! She's recently moved from England so make sure to give her a warm welcome!" the homeroom teacher announced enthusiastically with a wide smile. Immediately, the class erupted into chatters. They have never had a new student in their class before.

Kotori fidgeted nervously in her seat. Honoka, seeing this, leaned over and whispered, "Are you okay, Kotori-chan?"

Before she could reply, the teacher called for silence and Honoka reluctantly leaned back into her chair. The class watched with anticipation as the door slid open and a girl with dark long hair walked in. Her posture was nothing short of impeccable and her eyes were serious and focused. Even at a single glance, one could tell that this girl was determined and reliable.

"Good morning everyone, my name is Sonoda Umi and I have recently moved to Japan with my family. My favourite things to do in my leisure time are to read and exercise. Despite my inadequateness, I hope we can get along," Umi introduced herself with a polite bow. Her voice was crisp and clear and her words rang across the classroom in perfectly uttered syllables.

The class was stunned into silence. They have never met a girl their age that was so polite and formal that they had no idea how to react.

Umi's polite smile faltered slightly as her introduction was met with a prolonged silence. What had she done wrong? She was sure her introduction had been perfect. She'd been practicing for the last hour so it had to be.

Suddenly, Honoka shot to her feet as her hands slammed loudly against the table. "Ehhhh?! Aren't you Kotori-chan's fi-mmmppfff" she was cut off as the girl in question rushed to her seat and covered Honoka's mouth with her palm. Everyone in the class (including the teacher) turned to look at the pair in confusion.

"Nothing! Er… Sensei, Honoka-chan's feeling a bit ill so please may we be excused for a second?" Kotori covered hastily with a nervous smile. She briefly met Umi's gaze and they both blushed before looking away.

"Of course. Take her to the bathroom and make sure she's alright," the teacher agreed with a kind smile.

"Thank you," Kotori replied and quickly led her best friend out of the classroom. Once they were a safe distance away from their class, Kotori turned to face her ginger haired friend with a small frown. "Honoka-chan, you promised not to say!"

Honoka at least had the decency to look ashamed. "Sorry, it's just… I was surprised!" her rueful expression quickly shifted to one of excitement. "That_ is_ her though, isn't it?! Why didn't you tell me?" she whined with a pout.

Kotori shifted her gaze. "I was going to tell you at lunch but I forgot that she was supposed to transfer today…" she trailed off as she spotted the 'I just got a great idea' expression on her friend's face. Usually, she didn't mind this look; if anything, she would always look forward to what wacky idea Honoka had once again concocted, but not this time. All she felt was a sense of dread.

As predicted, Honoka grinned and announced, "I just got a great idea! We should invite her to our clubroom this lunch! You can introduce us to her and vice versa."

Normally in friendship groups, that would be the logical step. But not in hers. As much as she loved her friends dearly, she couldn't deny that they were more than slightly odd. She was worried that they would scare off Umi who, despite all her polite and formal personality, was deceptively shy and socially awkward.

…which is why Kotori found herself in her current dilemma. "I don't know Honoka-chan… isn't that a bit sudden?" she said hesitantly.

Honoka merely waved her objection away. "It'll be fine! I'm sure we'll all get along with each other."

"But… I don't want to seem too forward. What if she thinks I'm clingy?"

"I'll come with you to ask."

"But… what if she doesn't really want to come but comes because she doesn't want to hurt our feelings? I don't want to force her into something she doesn't want to do."

"Come on, Kotori-chan! Be a bit more positive!"

"But…" actually, she didn't have anything more to say. Kotori sighed and nodded. "Okay, I'll ask. But you have to come with me, Honoka-chan!"

"Yup! Of course! Now let's get back to class!" Honoka replied with a cheerful smile.

Kotori didn't think she would ever wish for such a thing but as she trailed back to class, she desperately prayed for her friends to be somewhat normal and tone down the weirdness for at least the duration of lunch. That wasn't asking for too much was it?

000

Apparently, it was. Kotori had underestimated the level of wackiness her friends could reach. She wondered if being so close to them all the time was slowly causing her to become immune or, even worse, utterly used to their crazy antics.

"Wow, you're soooo pretty! Look at these long legs! And the mature aura!" Honoka exclaimed in awe as she gushed over Eli, who was smiling awkwardly and probably screaming for help on the inside.

Meanwhile, Umi was being interrogated by the others at the other side of the clubroom. The dark haired girl kept on glancing at Eli for help but the older girl was too busy being gushed over to notice. Nozomi was the only one who was completely silent; she had a strange expression on her face and her eyes were focused on Eli. Kotori just hoped her friend wasn't planning anything sinister.

As she watched Umi awkwardly smiling at Rin, Kotori thought back on how she and Honoka had persuaded Umi to join their club for lunch.

_FLASHBACK_

"… I don't think we should do it," Kotori said to Honoka nervously, her eyes constantly following Umi's movements from the other end of the classroom. The girl was still too busy packing up so she didn't notice Kotori's rather obvious stare.

"What are you saying, Kotori-chan?! This is the golden chance to get to know your fiancée! Come on, I'll ask with you," Honoka said enthusiastically as she dragged a reluctant Kotori to Umi's desk.

As if sensing that someone was approaching, Umi looked up and a brief look of surprised passed her face before a pleasant smile replaced it. Kotori couldn't help but notice how beautiful her fiancée was. If she wasn't so nervous and mortified by the situation, she would probably be gushing over the other girl's beauty.

"Hey, Umi-chan! I can call you that, right?" Honoka greeted cheerfully.

Umi's gaze locked with Kotori's for a second before she settled her eyes on Honoka's smiling visage. "Yes, of course. What can I do for you Kousaka-san?"

"Just call me Honoka! Anyway, me and Kotori were wondering if you wanted to come and eat with us in our clubroom. We can introduce you to our friends!"

For some reason, Umi's face flushed slightly and she quickly glanced at Kotori before looking away. "Y-You were? I'd lov-" Umi faltered, her expression falling. "I am afraid I cannot. I just remembered that I have plans to eat lunch with my sister."

Most people would back away at this point. Kotori belonged in this category and she discreetly nudged her friend to signal that their plan was unsuccessful. However, Honoka was not most people and did not let this little problem stand in her way. She merely ploughed her way through. "That's fine; your sister can come along too! The more the merrier!"

"If you insist…" Umi said hesitantly.

"Of course! Now let's get your sister! Which class is she in?"

"Actually, I'm not too sure," Umi answered shamefully, as if not knowing her sister's class was the worst crime one could ever commit.

"That's fine. We'll ask around. Let's go!" Honoka shouted, pumping a fist into the air.

_END OF FLASHBACK_

Eventually, they had found Eli talking to Nozomi outside their classroom and the five of them had walked to the clubroom together. As soon as they entered, Honoka had shouted 'Hey guys! Kotori-chan's fiancée and her sister are here!' and all their friends (sans Maki, who had simply twirled her hair in silent curiosity) had rushed towards them to form an unorderly crowd.

Kotori sighed once more as she watched her friends fire question after question at Umi who (poor soul) looked terribly confused and flustered.

"Do you like idols?!" Hanayo asked excitedly.

"How do you feel in the presence of my awesomeness?" Nico asked with a flip of her hair. Maki gave a decidedly unladylike snort in response which caused Nico to turn around and glare at the first year.

Umi simply blinked in confusion as she witnessed the scene. Rin, seeing this, decided to explain the situation. "Don't worry, that's just how Nico-chan and Maki-chan express their love for each other, nya."

Immediately, both Nico and Maki turned completely red. "No it isn't!" they both shouted at the same time. They glanced at each other for a second before turning their heads away with an 'hmph!'

"Hey, hey, Umi-chan!" Honoka said as she approached Umi. "Is it true that you and Kotori-chan are moving in together in three weeks' time?"

Umi immediately flushed at the mention of their soon-to-be living arrangements. _What were our parents thinking?! _"I-I suppose… yes, that would be correct," she said in a stutter.

"Oh, so you're going to be living _alone _together where no one will be able to interrupt you…" Nico said in a suggestive tone, wriggling her eyebrows.

"Nico-chan!" Kotori cried out in horror.

"I-I-I-w-well, y-yes but! B-But, we're not… yet- I mean! W-we're not…" Umi's face seemed to explode into a vibrant shade of red. The poor girl was on the verge of breaking down.

Nico promptly collapsed in a fit of laughter.

"Nico-chan, stop bullying our new club member or you'll feel the full extent of my wrath," Nozomi called out in warning, a mischievous smirk adorning her face. She gestured exactly what she meant with her hands and Nico instantly fell silent, her face rapidly growing pale.

"So we're now part of your club? Just like that?" Eli asked in amusement.

"The more the merrier!" Nozomi replied with a smile. "Besides, the cards told me that we needed two more people to complete our club and you're the perfect candidate."

"Hmm… well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to join. What do you say, Umi?" Eli asked her sister.

Umi glanced at Kotori and immediately regretted her action when she was met with a pleading expression that was too adorable to refuse. "Y-yes, I would love to accept your generous offer. However, may I ask what the purpose of this club is?"

At this, the original club members fell silent.

Finally, Honoka spoke up. "To have fun… I guess?" she said, smiling sheepishly. "To be honest, there isn't a clear goal."

Nico immediately shot up in indignation. "What do you mean there isn't a clear goal?! We're the idol appreciation club! We watch, listen to and research idols. That's our purpose and I, Yazawa Nico, is the club president of this fabulous club!"

"I see…" Umi said uncertainly. She still didn't really get the purpose of the club but it seemed like a fun place to be so she was more than happy to join.

"Anyway, moving back to the topic," Honoka said, "since you guys are moving in together, we should totally have a party at your new house! It'll be like a housewarming party!"

Umi blinked. "Um…"

"I think that's a great idea!" Kotori said with a smile. "Right, Umi-chan?"

Umi sank in her seat. "…Of course."

Eli came up to her sister and quietly snickered. "Not even married and you're already whipped," she said to a flustered Umi.

"You try and refuse that smile," Umi grumbled. "It's impossible."

Eli shook her head in amusement. She had a feeling that her life was only going to get more interesting.

000

Two weeks had passed and both Umi and Eli were settling well into their new school. Eli, with her natural good looks and seemingly cool personality, had immediately become immensely popular with her classmates and quite a few underclassmen as well. To her distress, she was already receiving presents and love letters from all sorts of people and Umi always found it insanely hilarious to see her sister's reaction to each one. In the club, Eli had become particularly close with Nozomi and they could be seen talking alone in the clubroom on several occasions.

As for Umi, she also had her fair share of dedicated fans. Along with the Idol research club, she had also joined the archery club and on quite a few occasions, a crowd would gather by the practice range just to see Umi practice. Her relationship with the members of the Idol research club was rather close and she had found it surprisingly easy to fit in with the quirky group of friends. Thankfully, her relationship with Kotori had also vastly improved, meaning that Umi could now have proper conversations with the girl without constantly blushing or tripping over her words and sounding like an idiot. Kotori was now much more relaxed when she was around Umi and things were a lot less awkward when they were alone. In the process of getting to know her fiancée, Umi had naturally had many interactions with Kotori's childhood friend Honoka and although the girl was always random and full of energy, Umi had come to greatly appreciate Honoka's presence as it had saved her from many potential awkward moments. Umi now felt comfortable enough with everyone that she had dropped all forms of honorific and was calling them just by their first name.

So all in all, things were progressing extremely well.

"Hey, Umi-chan! Are you walking home?" came the familiar sweet voice Umi had come to adore.

She stopped in her tracks and turned around to greet the grey haired girl. "Yes, I don't have archery practice today so I'm heading home earlier than usual," Umi answered with a warm smile. "In any case, is Honoka not with you? Do you not usually head home together?"

"Honoka-chan had to run an errand for her mum so she rushed home before me," Kotori explained. "Do you mind if we walk home together?" she asked with a cute smile.

Umi gulped. "Um… not at all! I mean, of course. I'll walk you to your house."

Kotori giggled. "Thank you." She linked her arm with Umi's and leaned her head slightly against the taller girl's shoulder.

Umi's brain nearly shut down at the display of affection. Sure, they were closer and more relaxed around each other but they had never done anything like this yet. Both were still slightly shy to have any physical interaction. But apparently Kotori was feeling more affectionate than usual today.

"H-How was your day?" Umi asked.

Kotori hummed in contemplation. "It was okay. I've got a lot of homework though so I won't have time to make any more clothing designs," she said with a pout.

Umi perked up in interest. "Do you make a lot of desgins?" she asked.

Kotori nodded and smiled brightly. "Yup! I love designing outfits and making them. My dream is to be a fashion designer."

"I'm sure you'll be wonderful at it," she said sincerely. She really did think that Kotori would be able to achieve anything if she desired. "Can I see some of your designs someday if it's okay with you?" Umi asked.

"Sure! I'll show you when I have a sketchbook with me," Kotori said. She then moved on to talk about her favourite designers and brands and how she liked to coordinate her clothes and how doing so made her feel really happy. Umi couldn't quite relate to Kotori since she simply wore what was most comfortable and did not bother coding her outfit but she was content to simply listen to the other girl talk about herself as they walked home. Whenever Kotori talked about her dream, her face seemed to glow and brighten up the whole area and just watching her made Umi's heart race wildly in her chest.

Before they knew it, they were standing in front of Kotori's house and the sun was starting to set. Even Kotori seemed surprised that they were already at her house.

"Wow that was quick. Sorry Umi-chan. I've just been talking about myself the entire journey. It must have been really boring," Kotori apologised with a regretful smile.

_Oh no. OH NO. Kotori looks sad, _Umi thought frantically. _KOTORI CANNOT BE SAD! FIX IT UMI! FIX IT!_

"Uh… no," Umi stammered. She tried to think of something to say but nothing came up.

_COME ON! Hurry up and fix it! She's looking even sadder! Dammit Umi, fix it!_

She swallowed her panic and tried again. "Not at all! It was really interesting and I feel a lot closer to you so… that's good. And it was very inspiring to see someone be so passionate about something. Besides… you could be talking about the most boring subject in the world and I would still love to listen. You have a beautiful voice, Kotori," Umi said. Despite the fact that her face was burning with embarrassment, she still smiled as sincerely as possible to convey her feelings. She may not be the most socially adept person but she knew enough to know that most people knew the difference between empty flatters and genuine admiration. And damn everything if Umi was anything but genuine.

Her embarrassment was all worth it when she was awarded with an extra bright smile from Kotori.

"Thank you, Umi-chan. That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me," Kotori said softly with a faint blush.

"Y-You don't need to thank me since I was only saying the truth," Umi insisted, inwardly ecstatic that she was doing the right thing for once.

Kotori's eyes sparkled with happiness as she stared at the girl who was making her feel all sorts of warm emotions. In a split moment's decision, she leaned forward and gave Umi and light kiss on the cheek.

"W-wh-what," Umi stuttered, her face instantly bursting into a deep shade of red.

Kotori, who was also blushing, ducked her head shyly. "That was a thank you for walking me home. See you tomorrow, Umi-chan!" she said before hurriedly escaping into her house.

Umi stood frozen and speechless. Her face was still burning and she could still feel Kotori's soft lips on her cheek. She slowly touched the spot with her fingertips as a wide, goofy grin took over her face.

_I'm never washing this spot ever again. _


End file.
